Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-17

'A'''''NA iNN'iAttAlafl VI lIt liluilltT SIpEIIl
that overlook them at the west end spoiled /
the imposing appearance they intended to |
make. The thunder and lightning were
fearfully sharp. striking buildings in the
east part. The democrats said it was
Judgment sent upon the wings for their
folly. We took shelter in the market shed
where We dried off BY eating some bits of
cheese, bread aud ham, the remains Of a
free dinner. by being put On a stOre-bOx
IN front OF Sammy AndersOn's grocery,
got clear view of General Harrison, As he
passed through. The afternoon was fair
and the multitude was haTangued by speak
ers on horseback
One of Bethei'S earliest settlers was John
Boswell. very eccentric character-rough,
wild. semi-baThariouS and semi-religious.
He was not altogether bad, a. he raised
frult-trees. ready for planting. by which
many Of the settlers obtained their start in
orchards. He was embrOied in lawsuits
with his neighb0Ts, as il was thought the
proper thing 10 charge all the StealingS to
Boswell. His way of starting balky
horse. 6y setting fire to a bundle of straw
on or under the horse. was only sample
Of his OutlandISh way of doing things
lie ProfesSed religion under the preachingS
OF Mr.. Cr"y, an odd one like himself, and
at nmpted TO preach. His boys took the
testament for reading book. They were
great hunters and fishers. Even in the lit
tie creek they caught fish that looked to a
boy As long as his arm. The country get
ting too open and civilized for them, they
moved to the west which, at that time,
meant Indiana. Another curious character
was Gabriel Icenberger, who loved whisky
like his father. the husband Os Granny
IcpslhpTppT II no could Y,r,.ttra -
whisky, and some cakes, hP had sufficient
stock for trade at sale. lie was frequent
ly employed As a orier, and his ready wit
made him a great favUrite with the yOungs-
| tiers. For some miSdemeanOr he was con-
! fined in the old Jail. When he was dis
charged he was asked by one of his neighbOrs
! how he liked his imprisonment. ''Oh. fine, I"
lie replied; didn't have t0 go ont of the
/ house for single thing" lie could preach
| where he was not known. and at one time
got the noted teacher. Prof Harrison, to
! appear and debate with him on the subject
of temperance at the old ROrkway school
/ house.
! JOanna'S grandfather, Rev, Peter Smith,
! was heavy-Set man, of medium size III
old age stoop shouldered leaning To one
side. In 1913 he published a medical treat
ise, few copies ot which are in possession
of the family yet. The breaking of his
thigh and other infrmities brought him to
his drath-bed, died in 1916 and was buried
on his farm: plat surrounding his grave
became the DOnnelSville burying ground.
His wife Catherine Stout Miller, must have
been very pretty in youth. aS she carried
her cOmely features and fair complexion in
the decline Of life, As Joanna remembers;
was gifted in conversation. could well
maintain her own side in disputing points
of doctrine with ministers of that day. Her
fathers house in New Jersey was surround
ed with British soldiers during the reyolu-
tiOnary war. Fearing cOnfiscatiOn. they
had buried their yaluableS. such as jewelry
and SiIverware, being in affiuent circum-
stances and owning slaves. The old chest
which contained these valuableS was used
by Catherine in carrying her wedding out
, tit-that. with spoons and other relics, are
still in possession of one branch of the fam
lily. The pioneer woman and widow OF
Rev. Peter died at the home of her son
Samuel in 1925.
| Joanna's maternal grandfather McCleave
was tall, of good personal appearance: a
Shoemaker by trade, which he learned in
Philadelphia; was soldier in the war of
the revolution and in one of the battles:
died at the home OF his daughter, Mrs. Red
dish, east of Springfield, O., and was bur
led in the old graveyard on Columbia street
| in 1924.
Rev. Peter Smith sOlemnized the mar
riage of Elnathan Cory to Hanna Jennings
in lT99-they were parents of the noted
! Cory family-also the marriage of all his
| children except Hezekiah.
/ Sarah Smith married Henry Jennings
| The jennings and DIR. Robbins family of
! New Carlisle are descendants. Ira left
p0Sterity at LAFAYETTE, Ind. Elizabeth
married John Ferris. descendants, in Gin
/ cinnati. Capt. Abram Smith left sons in
] Illinois, one of which, David. served and
was wounded in the Mexican war. A son,
| Werden- lives in Indiana. and one daugh-
ter Mrs. Poe. in Toledo. o. Nancy was
married 10 Mr.. Irwin, Mary to Joseph
| kelfer, parents of Gen. J. W. KeIfer,
| brother and sisters. RhOda was married to
| DIR. Lindsay. parents of Mrs. DR.. Tullis,
Mrs. Editor Defrees, of Troy, o.. and Mrs
| DR.. Matchett, of GreenviIle, o. Rev.
| HeZekiah left descendants in Shelby eoun-
| ty. Ind. Margaret, one of the twins. was
the first wife of II. NJ. Wallace; no de-
| scendantS living. The other twin died I'M
married.
| OF JJanna'S thirteen brothers and sis
| tiers eleven lived to raise families. She has
now living two brothers: DIR. Il. Smith, of
| Smthland. Ind, and Samuel. in Lawrence,
| ILL.,: also three sisters in adjoining
! towns and one in Kansas. Joanna was the
mother of thirteen children, eight of sshich
| lived to maturity and married; seven are
now living. She has twenty-five grand
children and sixteen great grandchildren
living. Her mother. Elizabeth McCIeave
| Smith. was very excellent woman; not so
! talkative as the Smiths, but good manager
and possessing a level head. Her advice
| about affairs was always considered the right
| thing TO do. JOanna's mind was exercised
when she was quite young upon the subject
of religion. Her grandfather gave her
tracts to read. and directed her in the way
of life. She became a professor of religion
and was baptized by Rev. Dunlap, Free
Will Baptist minister, in 1924, meetings
| being held at her fathers house. After
the removal Of this minister to Illinois the
! society scattered. and Joanna united with
| the Christian church at Knob Prairie, now
! EnUn. Since her husband died, in 1858.
| she always insisted that her children should
| take and read the REPUBLIC, that being
| the paper he took, and the Pioneer before
| it. John Miller always procured in early
yCdlS SuIil ObbhS a. NtIc llltl LD
for school, such As the Elementary Speller,
GOodrich'S History of the United States.
Malte Bruins Geography. Kirkham's
Grammar, Talbot'S Arithmetic: and for
home reading Parley's Magazine, Geld
smiths Natural History, Lewis's and
Clark's travels. Scottish Chiefs, Life of
Marion. and some others. The opportunity
for learning in his early years in Virginia
was limited, but he learned to read and OBJ
tanned fair knowledge Of figures, going to
school at Fincastle He copied the sums
worked in 1916 in an unruled blank book.
which shows that he used the qrill pen
with great Skill-nO child or grand-child
can equal it at this day in clearness and
evennesS of finish.
Looking back into the little clearings and
forest receSSes, we can call up the spectral
forms of our ancestors as they go about
their daily work. and in the evening we see
them stir up the burning log heaps, while
the housewife prepares the simple meal:
the hal land coarSely clad children crouch
in the corner awaiting with hungry mouths